1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a retainer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art connector with a retainer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2627357 is identified generally by the numeral 1 in FIGS. 12 and 13 of this application. The prior art connector 1 has a housing 2 formed with cavities for accommodating terminal fittings, and a retainer 3 is mountable in the housing 2 in a direction that intersects the inserting direction of the terminal fittings. The retainer 3 can be pushed to a full locking position in the housing 2 to lock the terminal fittings and to prevent them from coming out. Thereafter, the housing 2 is connected with a mating housing 4 by inserting the housing 2 into a receptacle 5 of the mating housing 4. If the retainer 3 has not been pushed to its full locking position, it projects from the housing 2, and interferes with the opening edge of the receptacle 5 while the housings 2 and 4 are being connected (see FIG. 12). Partial mounting of the retainer 3 can be detected since the housing 2 cannot be fitted completely into the receptacle 5.
A connection clearance may exist between the housing 2 and the receptacle 5 to facilitate the connection or due to a dimensional error in the connector. Accordingly, if a projecting distance of the retainer 3 from the housing 2 is small, the housings 2 and 4 can be connected with each other due to the presence of this clearance even if the retainer 3 is mounted only partially, as shown in FIG. 13. Therefore, partial mounting of the retainer 3 may not be detected with a sufficient precision.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a connector, which can securely detect partial mounting of a retainer.
The subject invention is directed to a connector with a housing that has at least one cavity formed therein for at least partly accommodating a corresponding number of terminal fittings therein. The housing can be fit at least partly into a receptacle of a mating housing. A retainer can be inserted into the housing and is configured to lock the terminal fittings in the cavities when the retainer is mounted in a full locking position. According to a preferred embodiment, the retainer is inserted into the housing along a direction that intersects the inserting direction of the terminal fittings into the cavities. A lock arm is provided on the housing and can be engaged with the mating housing to prevent the two housings from being disengaged from each other. An escape portion is provided in a position on the retainer facing or near the lock arm in a deforming direction for permitting an elastic deformation of the lock arm only when the retainer substantially reaches the full locking position.
The escaping portion is aligned with the lock arm in the deforming direction when the retainer is in the full mount position. Thus, the lock arm can enter the escaping portion and undergo a specified degree of elastic deformation. On the other hand, if the retainer is mounted only partly and has not reached the full locking position, the escaping portion is not aligned with the lock arm. Consequently, insertion of the housing into the receptacle of the mating housing is hindered, and the lock arm is not permitted to undergo a sufficient degree of elastic deformation. Accordingly, the elastically deformable lock arm functions as a detecting means that detects a partial mounting of the retainer based on whether the housings can be connected with each other.
In other words, a large difference between the degree of deformation of the lock arm when the connection is permitted and that when the connection is not permitted can be provided if the depth of the escaping portion is set sufficiently large. Thus, a reduction of the detecting function caused by a clearance between the housing and the receptacle, as seen in the prior art, can be avoided and partial mounting of the retainer can be detected securely.
The retainer preferably comprises a main body that can be inserted into an insertion opening in a side surface of the housing to lock the terminal fittings and to prevent the terminal fittings from coming out of the cavities. The retainer also comprises a detecting piece located outside the housing and facing the lock arm in the deforming direction.
The retainer also may comprise a holding piece at substantially the opposite side of the main body from the detecting piece and located outside the housing. Most preferably, the detecting piece and/or the holding piece are provided with a locking portion for engaging the housing to prevent the entire retainer from coming out of the housing.
The detecting piece is located outside the housing and faces the lock arm in the deforming direction. Additionally, the locking portion of the detecting piece securely holds the retainer in the full locking position so that the escaping portion securely faces the lock arm in the deforming direction. Thus, partial mounting of the retainer can be detected.
The retainer further preferably comprises a holding piece at the side of the main body opposite from the detecting piece and located outside the housing. The holding piece also has a locking portion for engaging the housing. Since the retainer is mounted while holding the housing between the detecting piece and the holding piece, the connector can stably hold the retainer.
The retainer preferably is movable with respect to the housing between a partial locking position and the full locking position. Insertion and withdrawal of the terminal fittings into and from the cavities is permitted when the retainer is in the partial locking position. The retainer is prevented from coming out of the housing while held in the partial locking position. Thus an assembly of the housing and the partially mounted retainer can be transported easily to a location where the terminal fittings are inserted into the housing. Therefore, the connector has an improved assembling operability.
The escaping portion preferably comprises a slanted portion that is slanted towards the housing with an angle of inclination substantially corresponding to a deformation angle of the deformed lock arm.
Most preferably, one of the lock arm and the escaping portion comprises a detecting projection and the other of the lock arm and the escaping portion comprises a mating detecting recess. The detecting projection can be inserted into the detecting recess when the retainer is in the full lock position so as to allow elastic deflection of the lock arm.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.